PENSACOLA, Fla. — An apparent gas explosion rocked a jail in the Florida panhandle, killing two inmates, injuring as many as 150 people, and creating a chaotic scene Thursday after inmates were bused to hospitals and nearby jails when the crippled building had to be evacuated.

The jail was almost completely destroyed, Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan said at a news conference Thursday morning. Three inmates were unaccounted for, and one corrections officer was seriously injured, he said.

Firefighters entered the building Thursday morning. Pieces of glass and brick were strewn about on the ground. The front of the building appeared bowed out, with cracks throughout. Authorities blocked off roads leading to the jail.